Kathak dancer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Pandit Birju Maharaj has passed away of a heart attack at the age of 83.
President Kovind, PM Narendra Modi and many others have shares their condolences on demise of Pandit ji on social media.
Birju Maharaj’s granddaughter Ragini informed ANI: “He was under treatment for the past month. He had sudden breathlessness at around 12:15 – 12:30 am last night; we brought him to the hospital within 10 minutes, but he passed away.”
Remembering her grandfather, Ragini also spoke about his love for gadgets. “He loved gadgets, always wanted to buy them at the earliest. He always said, if not a dancer, he’d have been a mechanic, his image in my mind will always be smiling,” she added.
Panditji was considered an icon of Kathak, classical Indian dance, and was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan.
Pandit Birju Maharaj’s choreography in Indian films:
#ShatranjKeKhiladi #DilToPagalHai #Gadar #Devdas #Vishwaroop #DedhIshqiya #BajiraoMastani
